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Mac nodded.

Okay.

That should have helped.

It didn’t.

“But…you could have given him the longer, indoor assignment.”

Jodie said nothing.

“So what about last July? I had another outdoor day-long detail. You moved Charlie onto it and gave me her morning airport pickup.”

Jodie narrowed her eyes. “How did you⁠—”

“The old schedules are in the back of your binder. You’re using them for scrap paper. One fell out when I got the maps.”

Her eyes widened. “And then you went through them?”

Mac looked away for half a second.

“Yeah.”

“Mac.”

“I know.”

“That’s not cool.”

“I know that, too, Jodie.”

“Then why were you going through it?”

Because once he’d seen his name, he hadn’t been able to stop. Every sheet had felt like another chance to prove himself wrong. Instead, they did the opposite.

And now Jodie was confirming it all.

“I…got curious.”

Jodie gave him a look.

“Okay, nosy. I got nosy.” He smiled.

Her expression didn’t soften.

Fair enough.

“I found three instances of you changing my assignments because of heat.” Mac leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “How long?”

She didn’t pretend not to understand.

“A while.”

“How long is a while, Jodie?”

She blew out a breath. “Probably since you started.”

Mac stared at her. Something around his heart pulled tight.